Halo Reach: Bonded Fate
by NickWithAShotgun
Summary: A fan story based on the events of Halo: Reach in the game with some tweaks in dialogue and events. This version of the story follows the adventure of the new Noble Six, Shade, and the rebel Spec Ops Elite, Tavu 'Nacam, who is only referred too as 'Nick' ***SLOW PROGRESS***
1. Welcome to Reach

**DISCLAIMER: Halo and all related content belongs to the creators of the game and series, Bungie. Some story events are slightly altered to fit this version of the story**

 _July 24th... 2552... Did I get that right? That's today..._ Shade stared down at the helmet in her hands. The helmet of a SPARTAN-III went perfect the rest of her armor, with a slight tint of blue coloration. With a sigh, she put the headpiece on as the Warthog continued down the road towards a camp of sorts. A pair of Falcons passed overhead just as the female SPARTAN glanced up. _Are they for return, or pick up? Guess I'll find out soon enough._ The driver of the Warthog hadn't looked at Shade the entire trip, nor had he talked to her. Was she really that intimidating? She shrugged off the thought. Maybe he was just concentrating on the road.

Eventually, after a bumpy drive, the vehicle came to a stop and one of the Falcons landed nearby. _Guess it's pick-up time, huh. Just in time then._ Shade wanted to thank the driver for the ride, but he didn't seem to be paying attention. She just climbed out of the Warthog and headed over to the barracks she assumed the rest of the team was in. On her way, she noticed a man in the already landed Falcon she passed by. His armor, green MJOLNIR by the looks of it, made him seem like one of Noble Team, and the sniper resting next to him with the clip he was filling gave the impression he was a sniper. _'Least he covers what I can't. Sniper rifles are way too hard to use for me._ He seemed to look up and watch Shade pass by, but she didn't pay him much attention.

She soon located the others, one clearly having a conversation, although Shade herself hadn't caught the first part. Seemed like the blue Spartan was the one talking to someone else over holo-communication, is looked like.

 **''And now you're sending us?''** the Spartan was asking.

While they were having their chat about whatever it was, Shade came in and looked around. The first to catch her attention was the one Spartan with his helmet on. He seemed to be busy running a knife of sorts along his armor, which didn't look that much of a smart idea. But whatever, it wasn't her armor. He looked up from what he was doing and gave the female Spartan a good old look of his skull-patterned helmet. He was probably trying to look tough, but didn't exactly work on Shade. She was about to move forward and try to start conversation, but someone else stopped her. A light blue set of armor was worn by another female Spartan, and Shade wanted to comment on how it's nice to know she wouldn't be working with men the whole time, but refrained from it. From her look alone, she didn't seem like someone to mess around with. The light-blue armored woman took a moment to look over Shade before turning to the darker blue armored male, the one who was having the conversation.

 **''Commander.''** is all the woman had to say to get his attention. And the attention of a much bigger Spartan. _Damn, I'm gonna need some names to remember if this is the team._ Shade thought to herself.

 **''So that's our new number six.''** the large Spartan said, and it confused Shade. _New number six? Do they even know my name?_

It was the skull helmet's turn to speak next. **''Kat, you read her file?''** he asked the one in light blue. _One name, what about the rest?_

 **''Only the parts that weren't covered in black ink.''** Kat responded. _Huh? My file was partially inked? I don't understand...  
_  
The Commander went back to talking over the holo-comm. **''Anyone claimed responsibility, sir?''** Shade went back to not listening to them. It wasn't something she cared about. She looked over to the large Spartan, and there was something a little off. A shape beside him. And he seemed to know about it, from the way he held the shape a bit.

 **''What's wrong, Six?''** the large Spartan asked quietly, not interrupting the chat going on. Shade motioned to the shape next to him. **''Oh, this guy?''** The large Spartan gently pushed the shape toward Shade, revealing it to be an Elite! It was a Spec Ops soldier, as it wore the armor related to the rank. It didn't seem to be struggling against the situation, but definitely wasn't pleased with it. **''We found this one snooping around, and it claimed to be against the Covenant for whatever reason.''**

The Elite growled lowly. **''I've told you not to call me an 'it'.''** he muttered, loud enough for both nearby Spartans to hear. **''And you clearly believe me, Demon. Otherwise you would have...''** He seemed to stop for a moment to think about something. He growled a little more. **''Doesn't matter. You can't.''**

Shade was more confused by this then anything else. Today had been an odd day so far. **''Can't what?''** she asked. However, she couldn't get an answer before the Commander was done with his conversation. He had turned to look at them.

 **''If you ware done talking to it, it's time to go.''** he said, causing another growl to come from the Elite. He came over to Shade, motioning for the large Spartan to head out. **''Lieutenant,''** he started, catching Shade's attention along with the Elite's. **''** ** _and_** **you, I suppose.''** he added, aimed more at the Elite.

 **''Commander, Sir.''** Shade replied.

 **''Let me introduce you to the team's names. I'm Carter, Noble Team's leader. Light blue is Kat, Noble Two.''** Carter started, beginning to lead the two outside. **''Emile and Jorge,''** he motioned to each respectively, Emile the one in the skull-helmet and Jorge being the big guy. **''Four and Five. You're riding with me, Noble Six. As are you, Elite.''** The three made their way over to a Falcon set outside.

 **''It may be helpful for you to know my name, although it is complicated and I have abandoned it. I rather settle for something shorter, and easier to remember.''** the Elite muttered to Shade, only her hearing. **''Considering that me and you will be unlike the other Demons here.''** Shade wanted to question him about it, but she just listened. She would ask later. **''You may call me...Nick, as unlike us 'Elites' as it may seem.''**

 **''Well, nice to meet you, Nick.''** Shade replied, grinning beneath her helmet. **''I'm Shade.''** Funnily enough, Nick had two weapons on him, despite the situation earlier.

As the three got on the Falcon, Carter continued to talk. **''Not gonna lie to you, Lieutenant, you're stepping into some shoes the rest of the squad would rather leave unfilled. Me, I'm just happy to have Noble Team back up to full strength. Oh, and I've seen your file. That includes the part ONI censors didn't want me to. Glad to have your skill set, but we're a team. That lone wolf stuff? That stays behind, got it?''**

Shade nodded. **''Loud and clear, Carter, sir.''** she replied, sounding very relaxed about this. There wasn't a lot of room left for Nick, but Shade was fine with letting him sit with her, no matter how much he disagreed. After enough reasoning and a bit of annoyed grumbling from Nick, everyone was seated and ready to go. Carter signaled for the Falcons to take off and the sniper finally got a sentence out to Shade.

 **''Welcome to Reach.''**


	2. Discover the Enemy

The two Falcons carrying Noble Team and accompanying Elite flew past a rocky cliffside. It had been a mostly quiet trip despite the occasional grumble from Nick. Carter began to explain what they were doing this mission. **''Listen up, Noble Team.''** he started, getting everyone's attention, even Nick. **''We're looking at a downed relay outpost fifty clicks from Visegrad. We're gonna introduce ourselves to whoever took it out,''** He looked over to the other Falcon, towards Kat. **''and then Kat's gonna get it back online.''** Shade nodded to herself. Sounded like a good plan to her.

 **''Just get me under the hood, Commander.''** Kat replied.

 **''Sir, why would rebels want to cut off Reach from the rest of the Colonies?''** Jorge asked. Nick seemed ready to answer but Carter got there first.

 **''You got a chance, maybe you can ask 'em, Jorge.''** the Commander responded with a light shrug. Shade couldn't help but grin under her helmet at that. At least the mood was kept light.

Suddenly, Kat spoke up with a small announcement. **''Commander, we just lost our signal with HQ.''**

It went back and forth between them. **''Backup channels?''**

 **''Searching... Nada. Can't say what's jamming us.''** It was as though everyone let out a collective sigh.

 **''You heard her, dead zone confirmed. Command will not be keeping us company this trip.''** Carter added after, and Shade sighed to herself. Things might get a bit complicated.

 **''I'm lonely already.''** came Emile's reply to the situation. It wasn't clear to Shade if that was sarcasm or not.

 **''He's not alone.''** Nick grumbled. He really didn't seem or sound too happy. Either way, the mission was clear.

As the flight was coming to it's end, Carter began talking again, but Shade ignored it. As long he wasn't talking to her, she was fine with not listening. In the distance, there was some kind of structure. **''There's the communications outpost.''** Jorge commented.

 **''Picking up a distress beacon.''** Kat added, but that was much closer. Shade thought for a moment. A distress signal must mean something.

 **''Could be the missing troopers. Let's check it out.''** Carter replied, before looking for a place to land. **''Put us down on the bluff.''** Both Falcons followed that order and went in that direction. **''Jun, I want your eyes in the sky.''**

The team sniper gave a brief nod. **''Sir.''** The Falcons came down to land but didn't, hovering close to the ground.

 **''Let's go, Six, Elite.''** Carter said as he jumped off. Nick got up a jumped off after, followed by Shade.

 **''Finally, some time to move.''** Nick remarked. Shade had to agree, she had been sitting a lot today. It wasn't too comfortable.

 **''Alright Noble Team, spread out. Watch the approach.''** Carter once again instructed. Shade and her Sangheili accomplice kept together, mainly because Nick wanted to. They both made there way behind the group. The beacon was close, so they kept an eye out. Of course, neither knew what it looked like. Emile came up to a small pile of broken wood and he had spotted something. He moved a piece of wood covering the object, and soon identified it.

 **''Found the beacon.''** he said, tossing it to Kat.

 **''No ID, but it's military.''** she stated, dropping it.

 **''So, where are the troopers?''** Shade voiced everyone's thought.

 **''Obviously not here.''** Nick answered in return. **''So we move on. Maybe we can find something else around here.''** Shade nodded her agreement and they walked off. They circled west to look at the smoke coming from the next structure. They quickly made their way through a small building that had nothing in it. Shade took this moment to ask her new ally something.

 **''So, you said you had a name you left behind.''** she started, and Nick looked at her boredly. **''What was it?''**

 **''You'll have to find out. I'm not going to tell you.''** was his reply as he looked away from her. **''Such names we adopt are trouble to remember.''** Shade shrugged. Worth a try. But it seemed like Nick didn't exactly want to talk about it. Or anything for that matter. The two had been distracted enough to miss that the others had stopped to confront some humans.

 **''Six, over here.''** Jorge called to her to get her attention. She looked back to see what was going on. Nick snarled at the sight of the humans inside the buildings. He tried to just walk away but Shade's gauntlet hand stopped him. He gave her a stern glare and had to resist the urge to retaliate. Jorge had gone over to Emile, who was waving his shotgun at the farmers. **''They're not rebels, they're farmers. Look at them.''** he stated. He began to ask them what they were doing where they are. All the while Nick was desperate to get away. Shade sighed and walked off slowly with him, hoping Noble wouldn't notice. Carter did give them a curious look, but didn't go after them. He stopped when a transmission came over.

 **''Commander, I'm reading heat sigs in the structure directly east of your position.''** presumably Jun said.

 **''Copy that.''** Carter replied. **''Get them back inside.''** He lead the team off in the direction of the heat signatures. Shade and Nick followed, now with Magnum and Needler in hand respectively. They came across a small room that had two men inside. Despite the armor looking odd to Nick, even he knew they were dead. Doesn't take a genius to figure that out by the fact that there was blood all over.

 **''Two of the missing troopers.''** Shade guessed.

Carter nodded, looking closer. **''Looks like they were interrogated. It's...messy.''** he replied. As they moved into the next hallway, there was a noise of sorts. **''Movement, check your motion trackers.''** Carter said to the team. Shade glanced down at the radar in the corner of her HUD and sure enough, something was moving away from them. They kept moving forward, now knowing something was here. Suddenly a transmission from Jun came through.

 **''Boss, I see movement outside your structure!''** he exclaimed. Shade came to a window, and outside definitely didn't look too inviting.

 **''Covenant!''** Jorge exclaimed from just behind Nick.

 **''I was beginning to wonder when you would figure that out.''** the Spec Ops snapped back.

Jorge was about to reply but Shade gave him a friendly reminder. **''Not the time to start chatting, Jorge. We got hostiles to take care of.''** That did the trick as Jorge went over to stairs to put the large machine gun he was hauling around to use.

Nick took a moment to identify the Covenant attackers. **''Just Ungoy soldiers and-''** He was cut off by Shade as she fired a couple of shots from her sidearm at a Jackel.

 **''Save the specification for later and shoot.''** she said, killing off a few Grunts. Nick growled at her befor throwing a Plasma Grenade at a small group of Grunts, eliminating them. It didn't take long at all for the small area to be cleared and for the team to move forward toward a bridge across a small river. **''Nice to be using a gun for once.''** Shade commented with a small laugh. More Covenant came, but were taken care of just as easily.

 **''Stand down Noble, stand down. Contacts neutralized.''** Carter said as the last enemy met it's end at Shade's powerful melee punch.

 **''Contact?''** Jorge replied, sounding a bit agitated. **''It's the damn Covenant.''**

 **''Cheer up, big man.''** Emile said, obviously as a joke. But he got serious for a moment. **''This whole valley got turned into a free fire zone.''** Shade just kept going. She and Nick were just glad to be fighting.

 **''Kat, we need to warn Holland. I need you at that relay outpost now.''** Carter commanded.

 **''Boss, I'm seeing more activity to the east!''** Jun announced. Shade and Nick were faster then Carter to get to the activity which was more Covenant. This time, other Elites were there. Nick growled to himself, hurling a Plasma at an Elite and killing it outright. That left two. Shade took one and Nick faced the other. A couple punches later and both were dead on the ground, beaten to death.

 **''That was brutal Six. Might want to clean off your armor after this.''** Jorge commented and Shade laughed in return. **''You too, Elite. Fine work, both of you.''** Nick was actually surprised to hear the respect in the big guys voice.

 **''Your compliment is flatering, Demon. That is what shocks me the most.''** Nick replied. Jorge was much nicer then the Elite had assumed before. None the less deadly though.

In their side conversation, they missed Jun saying there was more hostile activity to the east. But they did catch what Carter said. **''Emile, you're with Kat. Six, Jorge, the Elite and I will run interference on the ground. Meet you at the outpost.''** he explained. The three went after him towards a vehicle while Kat requested her airlift. Shade took the driver seat of the truck there with Carter next to her and Jorge behind with Nick. She set it in metion and went in the direction Carter was directing her. Nick, meanwhile, wasn't used to being told what to do by someone else. He was in wonder how Shade wasn't reacting to her orders with ferocity. None the less, they made it to the heat signatures and set about striking down the Covenant located there. Shade managed to get behind an Elite and proceeded to break it's neck from behind.

After a while, the area was cleared out of aliens bar Nick. **''Looks like we're clear here, Lieutenant.''** Carter said. **''Good work. Let's get moving.''** Everyone piled back into the truck and set off again. **''That's not all though. Jun got a distress signal.''**

 **''Another one? How much distress are going on?''** Shade replied.

 **''Save the remarks, Six. It's the troopers. We have to find the source of the distress call.''** Carter told her. Instead of complaining more, Shade got back to driving. Eventually they drove in just the right direction and found the troopers under attack. **''Noble Three, we found the troopers. Request immediate evac, my co-ordinates.''** The four dismounted the truck and set about clearing the few Grunts there. More of the Covenant were on the way and evac waa forced to keep distance. **''Noble Six, hold position and clear LZ.''** Carter commanded. Another few moments of killing and it was done. Evac arrived and the rest of Noble Team boareded the Falcon Jun was on. Luckily there was enough seats for them. They made their way over to Kat's location to rejoin her.

They got theee fairly quickly after being informed over comms by Kat that the door was locked and she needed a bit to be able to shut them. All the while Covenant were attacking. It took longer then normal for Kat to crack the controls, so the rest of Noble fought off the aliens and provided enough time for Kat before retreating inside and letting the door lock. They were safe.

 **''If this is where we need to be, let's go. That was a good battle, but tiring too.''** Nick said, heading for an inner door. It led into a hallway that wasn't anything big, but clearly important. Around a few corners sat the main relay controls and a corpse.

 **''Six, search that body for ID.''** Kat instructed to Shade. Carter went over to a live trooper leaning against a wall, clearly injured. Kat was looking at the main relay controls, and Nick was with Shade.

 **''Poor soul...''** Nick commented, kneeling next to Shade. She nodded her agreement, trying to turn the body over. When she did, an odd device fell to the ground. Nick picked it up out of interest. **''What might this be?''**

Before he could do much though, Kat stopped inspecting the plasma damaged console and looked at him. She snatched it right out of his hand. **''I'll take that. Not your domain.''** she said. Nick growled fiercely at her and Shade held him back.

 **''I've got a live one over here!''** Jorge called. A girl was in his grasp, struggling against him, saying all sorts of things Shade and Nick didn't understand. **''Come on. Out you come.''** Jorge was being as gentle as he could as he spoke, but the girl kept struggling, seeming to be afraid. **''It's alright, we're not gonna hurt you.''**

 **''Jorge.''** Carter said, but Jorge knew what he was doing.

 **''I got her...''** Jorge replied, putting down his gun and facing the girl. **''Keep still and I'll release you.''** That seemed to do the trick and the girled calmed. She had enough time to say something in Hungarian before and Elite came out of nowhere and attempted to strike Jorge with an Energy Sword. He ducked just in time to dodge. Changing target, It charged Kat and tried to attack her, but Carter got her out of the way. Nick jumped back while Shade fired her Assault Rifle full blast at the Elite. It noticed and charged her, knocking her down and the gun out of her hands. One of it's backup Elites took the opportunity to try and kill her there and then, but it only got so far with some kind of Energy Knife. It was nowhere near enough to hurt much. Shade gave it a solid punch and it roared in her faceplate, but it was enough of a distraction to allow Nick to kick it firmly off. This along with fire from Carter was enough to send the Elite scuttling backwards. Nick kicked Shade her rifle and helped her up. In all the chaos, the trooper Carter was previously talking to had been grabbed and taken. One of the Elites growled deeply at Nick before it said something that Nick translated for the others. **''This is for every one of your acts of heresy, Tavu 'Nacam. We will hunt you down later for everything!''**

Shade gave a side look of confusion at Nick. He growled in response to the Elites before they went off into the tunnel. **''You cowards!''** Nick called after them in anger.

Carter started issuing orders. **''Five, Six, Elite, clear the hole.''** Jorge, Shade and Nick all made their way after the Elites just gone, and Jorge closed the door behind them.


	3. The Other Reset

Shade grabbed a DMR from the nearby rack and Nick did the same, hoping to follow her example. **''Hey, Nick. That Elite earlier mentioned a Tavu 'Nacam. I that you?''** He nodded in reply.

 **''Yes, the name I left behind with those ruthless killers.''** he said. He managed to figure out how to use the DMR and smiled to himself.

 **''If you two are done talking, we got hostiles to take care of.''** Jorge reminded them, throwing a flare down the open hall. Just some easy to deal with Grunts and the occasional Elite. Few shots here, few broken Grunt necks there. The next room, however wasn't as easy. It was much more open, but there was two Elites here, although Shade didn't notice.

 **''Flush 'em out. I got you covered.''** Jorge said as he stayed at the nearby edge. Shade headed down a slope, grabbing a spare grenade from the dead marine on the way. She dealt with the Grunts in a pistol shot and one grenade before taking on the Elite. It was evasive, but fell to Shade's fist nonetheless. She thought that was everything, but she didn't notice the other Elite. But it noticed her.

 **''Think that's everything.''** she called to Jorge, but the last Elite used this moment to it's advantage. It crept behind Shade and plunged the Energy Sword it was carrying into her back and through her armor. Everyone was caught by surprise.

 **''SIX!''** Jorge yelled, firing away at the Elite in an attempt to save her. But it was too late as Shade went still and was thrown aside. Everything went white before black.

Shade opened her eyes not too soon later. She was staring at the slope leading into the large room she just died in, but she was alive.

 **''Six? Are you alright?''** Jorge asked. He didn't seem to know what just happened.

 **''Yeah, somehow.''** Shade said. Nick seemed to be unphased by it, as if it was an everyday occurrence. The female Sparten looked at him, but he gave her a look of ''I'll explain later.''

Jorge repeated the line from last time, and Nick went with Shade. **''Lure the Elites to me. I'll wait right here.''** he said, activating his camouflage. Shade nodded and ran out, dealing with the Grunts like before. She easily took care of them and lead the Elites back towards the slope where Nick was. Nick waited until the right moment to steal the Energy Sword from the one Elite and use it to kill said Elite. He then impaled the other Elite and kicked it off into the wall Shade was standing at. The area was clear on second try.

 **''Noble Five reporting. Targets neutralized.''** Jorge said over comms to Carter.

 **''Kat needs you to reset a junction, do it and get back here.''** Carter replied. Nick headed over and reset the junction for the team before heading back to the slope to join the others. But he was stopped by the the Elite he had kicked into the wall who grabbed his ankle.

 **''Tavu. Why...did you leave?''** it asked, it's voice weak. **''You were a...respectable warrior. Your mate...worries about you. About your...life. She wants...to see you...again. Will...you...come...back?''** it handed Nick some sort of device, and Nick took it. **''Make...your...choice... Heretic...''** The Elite went limp after it spoke it's last word. Nick said nothing as he turned and walked past Shade and Jorge. The Spartans exchanged looks of confusion before following Nick out.

When they got back to the others, Nick went past them and waited away from everyone else. Kat and Carter were talking between themselves about the condition of the relay outpost.

 **''How long?''** Carter asked to start with.

 **''Question of my life.''** Kat replied. **''If the question is, when will this station be back online, two weeks, earliest. This is plasma damage. All major uplink components are fried.''**

 **''Two minutes is too long.''**

 **''Which is why I'm splicing into the main overland bundle to get you a direct line to Colonel Holland.''** That was enough to make Carter shut up. Just to make sure, Kat added, **''You're in my light, Commander.''**

Carter turned to Jorge and the girl he was next to. **''Find out what she knows.''** Jorge knelt down next to the girl and began talking to her. Shade, on the other hand, wanted to check on Nick. He would normally have grumble by now, but he was looking at the device in his hand every time Shade looked at him. Sometimes he was looking at her and muttering something. Emile gave a small chuckle when he noticed the female's concern.

 **''Worried about your boyfriend, Six?''** came his smart remark. Shade glared at him.

 **''Tavu isn't my boyfriend, Emile. But...yeah. I am worried.''** Shade replied. She looked over at Nick once more. While they had been talking to each other, Jorge had been talking to the girl. Naturally, Emile couldn't resist making a remark about it.

 **''Big man forgets what he is sometimes.''** Typical Emile.

Jorge came over and stood threateningly over him. **''She just lost her father.''** he said through gritted teeth. He walked over to Carter to explain the situation. **''She needs a full psychiatric work up.''**

 **''She's not the only** **one. Six's boyfriend could too.''** Emile said. Shade was so glad she hadn't taken her helmet off. She was blushing harder every time boyfriend was mentioned. Nick, on the other hand, just got annoyed.

 **''Do you wish to have your blood splattered on my armor?''** the Sangheili snarled, marching towards Emile. **''It can be arranged, skull faced Demon.''**

Luckily, before it got to that, Carter stepped in. **''Lock it down, both of you. No-one is killing anyone else.''** Nick gave a growl to Emile before walking over to Shade and standing near her. He seemed to want comfort from her. **''Get her on her feet. The body stays here.''** Carter instructed Jorge.

 **''Thank you, sir.''** Jorge replied. He gave a hard glare at Emile before helping the girl to her feet.

 **''Signal!''** Kat exclaimed. **''It's patchy, but it's there.''** Carter took off his helmet.

 **''I'll take it.''** he replied. Kat paused her leave for a moment.

 **''Best not touch anything. You wouldn't want to ground this place.''** Everyone else but Shade and Nick had left already. **''Come on, Six. Best not to listen in to this.''**

Shade nodded hesitantly and lead Nick out slowly. With no-one looking, Nick stopped moving, and so did Shade. Nick removed her helmet for her, and looked into her blue eyes. She was still blushing from earlier. **''Does he speak the truth about you and I?''** he asked.

Shade thought for a second. Did she really like him? Would he hate her is she said no? There was only one way to find out. **''It's...not that advanced yet. I wouldn't say you were my...boyfriend.''** she replied nervously. Nick cocked his head as her nervousness.

 **''You sound nervous. Why would that be?''** he asked. Shade didn't respond, just looking away and blushing. **''Are you afraid I would be offended?''** Shade still didn't say anything, but did nod in confirmation. Nick sighed a little. **''It is true I have a mate on my home world, but I wouldn't be safe to return to her. Every act of heresy I've done will make me a target for any guard. This could all be a trick. She's probably given up on me since I left...''** He looked away from Shade, looking at the device once more.

Shade put a hand on his shoulder. **''I'm sorry to hear that.''** was all she could say. Nick put the device away and turned back to Shade. Despite her not having much to say for comfort, Nick did something she didn't expect him to; he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She was too surprised to react, so just let her arms hang by her sides. He rested his head on hers and closed his eyes for a bit.

 **''I admit, Shade, I do feel closer to you then anyone else on Noble Team. Perhaps that goes some way to explain...my feelings towards you.''** Nick muttered to her. She looked up at his face and could tell he was blushing slightly. **''I'm just not sure if anyone else would be fine with...us.''** He let go of her and put her helmet back on her. **''Come on, I think that Carter is almost done. We should get to the others.''** Shade nodded her agreement and they both started to run.


	4. Learning the Truth

Following the Relay Outpost event, Noble Team were given a spare day at base to relax a bit. They had a long day so deserved it, at least is what Shade had been quite long for her and Nick. They were being transported back to base when Nick pulled out the device again. Shade remembered something she wanted to ask. **''What did that Elitr say to you?''** They were flying with Carter and Jun again, both not understanding the question, but not questioning her.

 **''I'd rather not explain with a live audience.''** Nick replied. **''Not to say I need to murder your two accomplices.''** he added, just in case either took it the wrong way. **''It's just...personal.''** Carter couldn't argue with that. The rest of the way was silent. Not much could be said, really. Every now and then Shade would move her hand to her chest. No-one questioned it.

Eventually, they arrived back where Shade first met Noble and Nick. It was gonna a hard job not calling him Tavu from here on out. Everyone headed inside and more specifically, to sleep. It was late after all. Night was fast approaching. But that didn't stop the two close soldiers from staying up. Unfortunately for their privacy, they were in a room with Emile. Probably the worst choice considering Nick's earlier threat to kill the man should he repeat a certain phrase. And because Shade stayed up, Emile stayed up. There was simply no way around it. He would just have to br forced to keep his mouth shut about what Nick was going to explain to Shade. **''Skull face, don't tell anyone about what you hear from me.''** Nick hissed at him.

 **''As long as I get to listen to the love part of you two.''** Emile replied. Shade's helmet was off at this point, so she couldn't hide her blush at it. It even made Nick blush a bit. **''Heh. You know you're getting good at poking fun at love when you make a big guy blush.''** Emile added, actually sounding pretty pleased.

Nick growled lowly. Emile was right, he felt himself blush. He thought admitting it would just hurt his remaining pride. He looked at Shade and she turned to lock eyes with him. In his mind, Nick could just see Emile saying ''Now kiss.'' but he was glad to not hear it actually said. **''You want to know about the reset, correct?''** he guessed. Shade nodded her confirmation. **''It is difficult to explain, but you and I are connected in spirit. If one of us dies, time reverses to a point when we were both alive. While we may remember it happening, others do not.''** he explained as best he could. Shade understood it for the most part. What she didn't understand was why them. Emile, however, was completely dumbstruck. **''Must be too confusing for skull face to understand. Perfect.''** Emile actually agreed with him for once.

 **''Can we move on to that device you have?''** Emile asked, hoping to get something easier to know. Nick gave him a questioning look. **''If you're wondering how I know, I sneaked a peek at you looking at it. Same deal on the way back here.''** he added.

 **''Very well, Demon.''** Nick replied. Before he could start explaining anything, however, Emile interrupted.

 **''Can you not call me Demon? My name is Emile. Hell, even skull face works better then Demon.''** Emile groaned. Nick grumbled to himself.

 **''So be it, Emile.''** Nick responded. **''I haven't yet looked at the contents of this, but I know it is some sort of technology for communication.''** he explained.

 **''Sounds like the Covenant version of letters.''** Shade said. **''Considering it's delivery by hand, it seems close.''**

 **''Perhaps. I wonder what is on it...''** Emile agreed.

Nick activated it and watched as a female Sangheili, unarmored, appeared in hologram.

 **''A hologram? Covenant have just gotta one-up us, huh?''** Emile remarked, though a short growl from Nick made him silent.

The holographic female started talking, and Nick translated. **''Why did you have to flee to Reach, Tavu? Surely you must have known that I was with child. Are you just being foolish, running from your own mistakes, your own heresy?''** Here she pauses to growl to herself. **''I have requested this message be taken to you, and all in hopes you will come back to me. I am lucky as it is to be left alone, despite bearing one of ours. Someday, I hope it makes it into your head that I miss you. Please. Consider your options carefully. When you make your choice, send word back here to me. Remember that, despite all of this, I still love you.''** The hologram faded and the room grew silent. Not even Emile had anything to say.

After a moment of silence, Nick picked up the device and put it away. **''Hey, Tavu. You know, I may have said some stuff about you and Six, but...I'm genuinely sorry you had this message about you leaving your mate while she was pregnant. How could you have known?''** For once, Emile wasn't trying to mess with anyone. He really was being sincere.

 **''Thank you for what little comfort you can offer, but... You're not exactly correct.''** Nick said with a sigh. **''I did know about the child. And I am ashamed for leaving her with it unborn.''** Shade moved to put an arm around Nick. She had moved next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. **''Shade... I...I don't know how I am supposed to get my message returned to her. There's no way she alone could have convinced anyone to ignore all my wrongdoings.''**

 **''You really think she couldn't have in any way? Come on. She's a woman. Women can be convincing and strong. Just look at me. Not to say men aren't, kinda of the same level there.''** Shade said.

 **''Were it so easy... I may believe you, but they don't.''** Nick replied, softly playing with her hair. It wasn't too long, but black.

 **''You two.''** Emile said, catching their attention. **''Don't stay up too late. Never know when next mission comes in. I'll be going to sleep, just don't leave camp right now. Even Spartans need rest. And I'm sure Elites do too.''** With that, Emile went over to his bed and lay on it, going to sleep with all his armor on, which didn't seem comfortable at all. Nick and Shade sat there for a while, his hand gently running through her hair. After a while, Shade stopped moving. Nick looked at her face and could tell that she had fallen asleep. He spent a few moments thinking about his mate and unborn child back on his home world. Would they be alright without him? He looked at Shade once more. Her helmet was nearby. He made sure it was in reach and pulled it a bit closer. He took off his own helmet and set it down next to hers. Gently, making sure not to wake her, he moved himself and Shade so he was leaning against a wall and brought the helmets with him. Smiling to himself, Nick ran his hands through her hair a few more times before he too closed his eyes and slept.


	5. Visitor

It had been a nice night of rest for Noble Team, Shade especially. She had finally got something out of Nick, even if it was just about their connection. At least Emile agreed not to mention anything to anyone. The night passed fairly slowly, letting everyone get the uninterrupted rest they needed. Eventually, night turned to day and the team began to wake up. But something wasn't quite right. This Carter noticed when he didn't find Jun around base, no matter where he looked. Emile woke up before Shade did, and he noticed the alien figure of Nick wasn't next to Shade, where he was last time the skull-faced Spartan checked. He got up quietly and went over to Shade, needing to wake her up. Before he did, he noted that Nick's helmet was gone. He shook the thought that Nick had abandoned them to go back to the Covenant and gently shook the female Spartan. **''Time to get up, Six. Shake a leg.''** he said to her, soon waking her up. She looked around for a second, searching for the Elite. She looked into Emile's faceplate with a questioning look. **''If you want to know where your boyfr- I mean, Tavu, went, I have no clue either. Do you think he went back to the Covies?''** he answered the question in her head. **''Wanna look for him, grab your helmet and let's go see the Commander.''** Emile outstretched an arm to help Shade to her feet, who picked up her helmet on the way up.

 **''I wouldn't jump to conclusions, Emile. This is Nick we're talking about. He wouldn't up and leave without a farewell present.''** Shade replied, not putting her helmet on yet and following Emile out the door to find the others. They didn't have to do much searching, though. The Rest of Noble were coming their way, except for Jun. On first instinct, Shade addressed it. **''Where's Jun?''** she asked Carter as soon as they were standing close.

 **''Could ask you the same question. And I will, but a little different. Where's Tavu?''** the Commander replied, noticing the fact the the large alien wasn't behind Shade and Emile.

 **''Missing, sir.''** Shade replied with a sigh. She went to put on her helmet but stopped when she noticed something in her helmet. A device similar, possibly the same as the one Nick showed her and Emile last night. It had to be storing a message on it. She took it out to look at it. **''It's...that device Nick had.''** She looked over at Kat who was already moving forwards and extending a hand to take it. **''Sorry, Kat. Not your domain this time. I know how to activate this.''** she added. Kat gave a stern look at her.

 **''Prove it, Six.''** she challenged.

 **''My pleasure.''** Shade replied. She set the device down on the ground like Nick had last night and pressed the same button he did. Sure enough a holographic version of Tavu, without his helmet on, appeared, not as big as Shade thought it was going to be. So she just picked it up and held it in her hand. Kat gave her a raised eyebrow, but Shade ignored it. She pressed the button to start it and Tavu started speaking.

 **''Shade. Have you found this? If you are hearing this, then good. I am sorry for leaving on short notice, but...I need to go back. Do you remember? Where-''** he was cut off by an all too familiar voice came from off hologram.

 **''Are you done?''** Jun's voice asked. Soon, he was viewable. **''If we hurry, we can get there and back before anyone knows we were even gone.''** Nick's hologram nodded to Jun's.

 **''I am sorry to cut this short and that I left at night.''** He put a fist across his chest with a slight bow of his head. **''I will be fine. Should it take longer then the night, don't come after us with everyone. Okay, Shade?''** Here the message stops and the hologram disappears. Shade put the device away and her helmet on.

 **''Were we wrong about him not going back to the Covenant? I doubt it. Jun would never have agreed to take him. Far as I know, Jun was the only one who didn't really care that the big guy had came snooping.''** Emile said with a shrug.

Shade nodded in agreement. **''And Tavu would never want to go back to a place that might get him killed. But I have a feeling I know where they are. Yesterday. At the relay outpost. It fits with 'going back'.''** Shade explained. '' **I need a Falcon to get there. I'm going alone.''**

Tavu 'Nacam POV

Nick retraced the steps he, Jorge and Shade went last time they were at the relay outpost. Jun, the Demon with the really long gun, followed closely. Why he had brought that thing was beyond Nick. **''So, what are you looking for again? Didn't exactly catch it the first time.''** Jun asked him. He was covering the Elite's 'six', as he put it. Nick sighed. Either this Demon was ignorant, or honest.

 **''The corpse of an Elite. There were a few down here when we cleared it out. One had a specific weapon I can make use of.''** he explained. He kept going to the large room where he reset the junction Kat needed. **''Here. Just what I need.''** He crouched down next to the body of the Elite that gave him the device, the Energy Sword he used to kill the Elite nearby. He picked that up before checking the armor of the dead Elite. It wasn't better then his, but he wanted to make sure. Just a Minor.

 **''You were wrong about making it back to them before sunrise.''** Nick then growled at Jun.

 **''Not entirely my problem. You wanted to come out here at night.''** Jun replied with a shrug. **''If you're done here, let's leave before anyone ambushes.''** he added. Nick sighed and lead the way out. They didn't make it too far before they were halted by a face all too familiar to Nick. His mate stood before them. Alone. Still pregnant. This wasn't right.

 **''Tavu.''** she said, her voice soft but not something Jun understood. **''I found you at last. You don't know how long I've waited to meet you again. To be with you again.''**

 **''What... What are you doing here alone? It could be dangerous for you.''** Nick replied in his own language so his mate could understand him. **''There must be guards somewhere to protect both of you.''** He motioned to her midsection. She had her hands on the small bump and nodded. A small group of Elites came out from cover and stood behind Nick's mate. He took a surprised step back and activated his Energy Sword. Some of the Elites made to move forward to the obvious threat but Jun thankfully had his sniper trained on them, ready to kill in a single shot. They cast a few glaces over to the gun and growled in annoyance.

 **''Come home. Come back home so we can live our lives together.''** the female requested. Nick shook his head. She put a hand to her mouth and stepped back a bit. **''You...you don't want to?''**

 **''You don't understand. They... Will kill me if I go back. I can't risk it. ''** Nick replied as softly as he could. **''Go back to Sanghelios. Raise our, no,** ** _your_** **child well. I simply cannot return.''**

The female looked actively saddened by the news that her lover wouldn't go with her. That was, until, an echoing pistol shot caught everyone's attention. The bullet wasn't aimed to hit anything but the ground. **''Sorry. Am I interrupting something?''** came an all too familiar voice.

 **''I was beginning to wonder when you would show up, Six.''** Jun said in greeting. **''Don't mind the Covenant. We have an unarmed and unarmored female. Looks a little while into...well, look for yourself.''**

 **''I know, I know.''** Shade replied. The Falcon that got her here was landed just behind her, with the one Jun and Nick used. **''Are you nervous to say the word pregnancy or something?''** She added a light shrug after. All the Elites turned on her except, of course, Nick and his mate.

Jun shrugged in return. **''I guess so.''** he replied. He lowered his sniper, knowing that Shade could handle an attack. One of the Elites approached her threateningly, but she didn't have much of a reaction. It growled at her and reached for it's own weapon. Nick came forward and stood next to the Elite.

 **''I wouldn't do that if I were you.''** he said. **''She can be especially deadly. I've seen her in action.''** She raised her pistol to demonstrate. The Elite merely gave Tavu a side glance before speaking something to the Spartan. Nick had to translate for her. **''He says 'You're lucky we only came to find the heretic, and not to destory any Demons. But you even threaten to attack, we will kill you.' Guess it makes a bit of sense.''**

Shade grinned beneath her helmet and put the pistol in it's holster. **''Glad to hear I won't have blood on my armor after this.''** she replied. **''Well, if you're done, I suggest we go.''** Nick nodded his agreement and relayed the message to the other Elites. All but his mate growled at him, but they began to escort the female out. She sent one last glance at Nick before looking away and getting on the Phantom. It soon took off and flew away. Shade looked over to Nick and Jun. **''So, what was so important for you two to sneak off at night?''** she asked.

 **''Sorry I didn't tell you. Remember last time we were here? That Elite with the Energy Sword?''** he said. **''At the time, I forgot about it because of the message. I needed to go grab it before the Covenant recovered it. Can't let them just take it back.''** Shade nodded her head. It made sense to her now with that explanation.

 **''I'm sure Carter would be asking when we get back. C'mon, let's go.''** Shade said, going over to a Falcon. **''Someone go in the other one. We need to get both back.''** She had flown the Falcon herself, and hopped back in the driver's seat. Nick boarded her's while Jun got on the other, and they headed back to base.

Shade POV

When they got back, Carter wasn't the one waiting at the landing area. Instead, Jorge was. They landed the Falcons nearby and hopped out to greet the machine-gunner. **''You took your time.''** he remarked. **''Carter was starting to get a little curious.''**

 **''I'm sure he won't mind when he finds we got a bit more firepower. Show 'im, Nick.''** Shade said, and Nick pulled out the Energy Sword and presented it.

 **''Just one? That doesn't exactly seem to impact much, Six.''** Jorge replied with a gentle **shrug. ''Either way, we should get back to the others. Carter especially.''** He began to walk away, and once Nick deactivated the Energy Sword and clipped it to his hip, he and Shade ran after him, with Jun close by.. Soon enough, they met up with the rest of Noble Team.

 **''Lieutenant. I see you found them.''** Carter spoke first. **''Found out why they left?''** He gave a questioning look to Nick, who was holding something. He had unclipped the Energy Sword handle from his hip.

 **''A weapon. This Energy Sword. I'll put it to better use then the previous owner. At the very least...''** the alien replied. **''There was only one. Not enough for everyone, but I'm the only one here who can use it.''** He put it back where it belonged.

Carter nodded. **''Well, at least we have you back. Today's a free day. Don't leave camp without my permission again, Tavu. That goes for everyone.''** he announced.

Nick growled a bit. **''I would prefer you to call me Nick, 'Commander'.''** He gave the man a glare. **''And so will all of you.''** Everyone agreed with him.

 **''Alright then, Nick. Spend today however you want to. Just don't cause any trouble.''** Carter replied, before he, Kat, Jun and Jorge walked off. Emile, however stayed with him and Shade.

 **''If you two don't mind, I'd like to stick around with ya. Maybe we can get to know each other more.''** the Spartan said.

 **''Yeah, I'm fine with it. Let's go talk for a bit.''** Shade replied with a grin. They walked back to the room they slept in last night.

When they were inside, it didn't take long for them to settle down. Emile seemed to be looking all over Nick's armor, as if researching it. Nick took off his helmet and Emile quickly looked up at his face. They sat there for a moment, just staring at each other. Shade glanced between the two of them, expecting some kind of argument to break out. But no-one talked for a moment. Eventually, Emile broke the silence awkwardly with the least expected question. **''What's under your armor, Nick? Can I look?''**

 **''W-what!? I'm sorry, Emile, but no. I can't show you.''** the proud warrior exclaimed in surprise. Never before had he been asked that. Probably because he lived with his own species for a long time. Shade could swear she saw him blush a bit.

 **''Sorry, sorry! Too curious!''** Emile said quickly, trying not to make the Elite annoyed at him. **''I wasn't exactly thinking! I'll let you be. See you later, you two.''** The Spartan was in a rush to leave, not letting either woman or alien say goodbye before he left. The two were left to sit in silence. They shared awkward glances, not entirely making eye-contact.

 **''I...maybe can show you though...''** Nick muttered, loud enough for her to hear. Now he was definitely blushing and so was she. Slowly, he began to take off his armor and lay it on the floor. Shade said nothing. She was trying not to be embarrassed he was doing this. Soon, the last piece came off and an unarmored alien sat where the strong and proud warrior was. It was almost as though the armor was what made him so intimidating. Shade shuffled a bit closer. She gently put a hand on his shoulder, feeling his skin for the first time. A moment later, Nick picked up some of his armor again and put it on. Shade let him do it in peace and left the room with her helmet. Just one of those days...The rest of the day was spent training with weapons and general fitness. It was tiring and by the time night rolled around, everyone felt ready to sleep.

As normal, Emile and Nick stayed up for a bit. Shade was too tired to try staying awake and soon was laying on Nick' knees asleep. Once again, the Elite was blushing in Emile's presence. **''Nick, I'm sorry about earlier.''** Emile said, trying to start conversation. Nick looked up from stroking Shade's hair.

 **''Oh. Pay that no mind, Emile. I was just startle you asked is all.''** Nick replied. Emile fell silent. So did Nick. They sat there, neither saying anything. Eventually, after half an hour, Emile silently lay down in his bed and slept. Nick watched as he slept. As much as he wanted to hate the man, something about him was just likeable. He closed his own eyes and fell into slumber. Whatever happens tomorrow, bonds would grow for sure.


	6. Attack on Sword Base

A new day had dawned on Noble Team and with it came the next mission. This one was important. Shade and co. were awoken by a bang on the door. All three jumped to their feet and opened the door to greet the familiar face of Carter. **''Hope you got some rest. We have a mission to do so get moving.''** he quickly informed them and ran off towards the Falcons waiting outside. Shade shoved her helmet on and ran after him with both Nick and Emile just behind her. They had no time to ask what the mission was before they piled into either Falcon and took off.

Acording to possibly the world's fastest explanation, they were headed to Sword Base. Apparently, it was being attacked by Covenant forces and it was down to Noble Team to step in and save the day. As pet the usual for Spartans. It was mostly quiet for most of the trip Until, that is, Sword Control had some news to give.

 **''Be advised, kilo-three-three and kilo-three-four, your current LZ is too hot!''** That was the second time Nick heard LZ and he just asumed it meant Landing Zone. He wanted to check, but he let Carter talk as he needed to.

 **''Roger that. Dot, standby to receive and reapond.''** the Spartan replied.

 **''Yes, Commander.''** the robotic voice of an AI replied. **''Coordinates received. Initiate immediate course correction. The Office of Naval Intelligence Sword Base is presently under seige from a Corvette-class Covenant vessel. Due to the sensitive nature of this facility, use of orbital rounds are, for the moment, prohibited.''** Shade and Nick ignored what came next from Dot. They heard enough. However, Nick turned to look at Shade.

 **''Office of Navel Intelligence? No wonder it was shortened.''** he remarked.

 **''Just wait until you hear UNSC.''** Shade replied. Dot, meanwhile, finished talking.

 **''Alright people.''** Carter began. **''We're stuck with that ship for the time being. Let's focus on the hostile infantry - give those troopers a hand.''** Shade looked down into the Courtyard and sure enough, plenty of Covenant met her eyes. **''Kat, Six, Nick, you're out here. Jorge, Emile, you're next, get prepped.''**

Shade and Nick had been given DMRs for this mission, and they were going to use them. Good thing Nick had the understanding of human weaponry. The female Spartan also had an Assault Rifle, And Nick had his trusty Needler with him and the Energy Sword. They were ready for action.

 **''Let's knock some heads, you two.''** Kat said as the three jumped off the Falcon and onto the ground. Shade put the scope on her DMR to use and shot down a couple of Grunts from where she was. Nick moved in close to deal with an Elite on the balcony above. He got behind it while it was distracted and jabbed his Energy Sword through it's back. Shade wanted to cheer for him, but she herself had closed in on a pair of Jackel who relied too much on their shields. She got straight to work pummeling them into the ground. Together, they moved forward and cleared the rest of the Courtyard of Covenant. It was a simple job of shooting at Grunts and punching Elite. Once cleared, they moved on to the main east gate.

As they arrived there, Shade couldn't help but notice that there was a Target Locater. She dropped her Assault Rifle and grabbed the Locater. **''Target Locater... Any artillery support in the area, Sword Control?''** she asked.

 **''Limited, but we'll prioritize whatever you need, ma'am.''** was the response. Shade grinned under her helmet.

 **''Fancy device. Maybe it can take out the two Wraiths coming our way right now.''** Nick suggested. He and Kat had moved forward with the Marines. Shade waited until just the right moment to set the target so it would obliterate both Wraiths. Everyone stepped back and watched as multiple explosives came dowm from above and destroyed the vehicles and anything too close.

 **''Two locations need something put back online. A comms array the the right, an AA gun to the left. Take your pick, Six.''** Kat informed her. She looked over at Nick. **''Might I suggest you go to the other one?''** she added.

Nick gave a hesitant nod. **''Fine. Meet you back here.''** he replied.

 **''Let's get the comms array running.''** Shade said to Kat as she hopped onto the newly arrived Warthog's turret. Kat got in the driver's seat and set off while Nick ran. A small group of Marines joined up, but most were scared he would retaliate badly if he was accidentally shot. They followed nonetheless. Nick was secretly thankful.

It was a bumby ride to the comms array for Shade and Kat, but at least it wasn't tiring like it was for Nick. Along the way, Shade used the turret to gun down several Grunts and a Ghost. **''I'm grateful to whoever installed these.''** she remarked.

 **''Focus, Six. We're at the comms array now. Should be a generator nearby. Hope it works...''** Kat said to her, and both got out the Warthog to look around for it.

Tavu 'Nacam POV

Nick chuckled to himself. The humans that chose to follow him were shaking in their boots. **''Steady yourselves. Don't go firing weapons with shaky arms or you'll hit me.''** he said to them. A few of them calmed themselves and tried to ignore how they were following the orders of an Elite. **''You humans are more scared then Unggoy on the battlefield for the first time.''** he added.

 **''S-sir,''** one of the still nervous humans asked, taking Nick by surprise at being called Sir. **''what'll you do to us if we do hit you by mistake?''**

 **''If your Demons weren't involved, I'd definitely find the time to stop shooting the Covenant and kill you.''** Nick answered. The human who asked almost yelped in fright at the response.

 **''Whatever you're thinking, Nick...''** Carter said over comms.

 **''If you were listening, Demon, you would have heard the first part.''** Nick snapped back at him. That definitely didn't help the scared humans behind him. He kept moving forward, and whether or not the humans kept following was up to them. Soon, they came across a structure. **''This that AA gun that Demon before mentioned?''** he asked a human close to him. He did some sort of movement, putting his hand to his head.

 **''Yes, Sir. That's the Anti-Air gun she wants us to get online, Sir.''** the man responded. Again, the use of Sir surprised Nick. Back when he was with the Covenant before he became a heretic, he was always just refered to as Tavu. Guess it was something he could get used to. They hadn't come across too many Covenant. Nick charged in while the humans gave covering fire, killing several Grunts. He headed inside the small building and was confronted by several Elites. Each one fell to his Energy Sword as easily as the last. He climbed up a small flight of stairs and beheaded the Elite waiting for him with ease. All that armor for nothing. He went over to a small panel and activated it. The odd looking tower in front of him sprung to life as he and the humans eliminated the remaining enemies on the ground. While they gave a small celebration, Nick checked over comms to see how Shade was doing.

 **''AA gun online. Comms array?''** he asked over comms. It took a little while for her to reply.

 **''Online. Just need to clear the area. Get back to Sword Base with the Marines, 'kay? Meet ya there.''** Shade replied after a moment of silence.

 **''Will. See you there.''** Nick replied, starting to run back towards Base. **''I'm not waiting up for you. Move it, humans.''** he growled at the Marines as he passed by them. With a collective **''Sir, yes Sir!''** they began following him. Maybe it was something the humans were trained to do, call the one leading them Sir. He mostly ignored it anyway.

By the time he and his group got back, Shade's Revenant was firing at other Revenants. Kat, the Demon with knowledge on technology, was there too. The last Revenant exploded and Shade drove hers over to the gate. Nick ran to meet her there. She jumped out of the vehicle and went over to the gate controls. Nick came up behind her with his group following. Shade pushed a few buttons and the gates started to open as she turned to meet him.

 **''How'd it go? Unit in one piece, I see.''** Shade said.

 **''Is it normal for them to call me Sir?''** he asked in return.

 **''You'll get used to it.''** she answered. She lead him back inside through the gate. More Covenant met them but there was no stopping them as they easily shot a path through. Across the way, another gate was open. Beyond it was two fierce foes.

 **''Hunters. Be careful. Get behind them and shoot their backs.''** Nick quickly explained. He spotted a rack of odd looking guns. **''They might help. Grab one.''** Shade went over a took a Shotgun off. He didn't, instead pulling out and activating his Energy Sword.

Shade pumped the gun she now had. **''Ready?''** she asked.

 **''Ready as I'll ever be.''** Nick replied. They ran out of cover and charged when the Hunters weren't looking.

It was time to kill the beasts.


	7. Halsey

The Hunters are huge beasts covered in armor to protect them. There is almost no way to kill them, except for the one spot of their backs without armor. That is the one vulnerable area, and exactly where Shade fired her Shotgun into. While she had an easy job of it, Nick wasn't as lucky. The Hunter he went after knew he was coming, and knocked the Elite down. It used it's large shield to crush him and kill him. There was nothing he could do to avoid it.

White. Everything went white. Faded to black. With a groan, Nick opened his eyes again to see he and Shade were back behind cover. **''Man, really gotta be careful around those shields.''** Shade said to him, concerned. **''You alright?''**

Nick gave a nod to her. **''I am fine.''** The Spartan let out a relieved sigh. **''Let's try again.''** The two charged out from cover and once again, Shade easily felled her target. This time, Nick was evasive enough to get behind the Hunter and slice it's back, killing the beast near-instantly. He even dealt with the Grunt nearby in one fluid movement.

Kat headed for an elevator that would take them to the others. Shade and Nick got on with her and she activated it. They were mostly quiet except for Kat, who was asking where their orbital support was over comms. Soon, the elevator stopped and the door opened as a robotic voice greeted them. It was ignorable. The group pressed forward, gunning down the Elite and Grunts in the room. They came to a much more open room where Noble was fighting the Covenant.

 **''Six, Nick, head upstairs and assist Emile. Jorge, make sure they get there.''** Carter instructed to them when they arrived. Both gave sharp nods to him.

 **''Depend on it!''** Jorge replied and lead them to a slope heading upward. Slowly but surely, they climbed higher, clearing room after room of Covenant. Shade jabbed one of the Grunts in its eye while Nick clawed another's neck.

 **''Corvette is gonna tear this space apart!''** Sword Control exclaimed. **''What's the situation, Noble?''**

 **''Can't do this on my own!''** Emile replied. **''Need another Spartan up here!''** That was all Shade needed to run as fast she could onward. She weaved around a ton of Covenant, ducking under swings from Elites and sidestepping past Grunts. She was almost there when out from behind a corner came an Elite dressed in a General's armor. Shade ducked past it, leaving it to Nick and Jorge.

 **''I've got this one!''** Jorge said to his alien ally. **''Go after Shade, give her a hand!''** Nick gave a nod and ran past while the Spartan opened fire on the General. He chased Shade down to find her with a Rocket Launcher in hand, firing at Banshees and a Phantom. Nick noticed that two cloaked Elites were revealing themselves by shooting their weapons at some Marines. He gave the humans some help by swinging his Energy Sword at the hidden enemies. The sky was soon enough clear as Emile finished off the last Banshee.

 **''That's the way we get it done, Spartan!''** he shouted, most likely to Shade.

 **''Noble Team, Longswords are inbound and ready to push.''** Sword Control announced. **''Orbital defence is standing by and ready to take the shot.''**

It wasn't long before two Longswords flew into sight, heading towards the large Covenant ship. Shade, Nick and Emile watched on as they got closer to it before pulling away. Moments later, something probably explosive was shot straight through the middle of the ship and sent it crashing to the waters below. Nick gave a roar of victory.

Jorge came to stand by them. **''Beautiful, ain't it?''** he said, standing next to the two. **''Someone should take a picture.''**

 **''Shame I left my chamera behind then.''** Shade replied jokingly. Jorge chuckled.

Jorge rested a hand on Shade's back. **''Nice work, by the way.''**

Shade laughed to herself. **''I aim to please.''** Nick rested his hand on her shoulder, putting a little weight on it.

Carter's voice came over the radios to them. **''Five, Six, Nick, get down to the science wing. Doctor Halsey wants a debrief and Command's saying we're all hers.''**

 **''Repeat?''** Jorge replied. **''Sounded like you said Halsey.''**

 **''I did.''** Carter answered.

 **''Copy that. On our way.''** Jorge said, starting to lead Nick and Shade off. **''Don't need Command to tell me... Been all hers half my life.''** he added to the two. Nick cocked his head. That didn't sound right to him...

When they arrived at the science wing to rejoin the group, they came in to the middle of a conversation between Halsey and Carter. **''I requested your assistance, Commander, and do not need a report on events that occur on my own doorstep.''** she was saying. **''What I do require is a detailed account of your previous engagement-''** She cut off when she saw Jorge, Nick and Shade. **''Jorge. It's been too long.''** she greeted him.

He took of his helmet and held it. **''Ma'am.''** he returned the greeting.

 **''What have you done with my armor?''** she questioned. Nick gave her an odd look.

Jorge gently nudged Nick as he noticed the alien's expression. **''Just some...additions I've made.''**

 **''Indeed.''** Halsey turned her attention back to Carter, but not before glaring sharply at Nick. **''Visegrad Relay. Its data center was home to one of my xenoarchaeologists, Professor Laszlo Sorvad.''** she explained. **''Perhaps you could shed some light on his death.''**

 **''If he was a civilian male in his mid-sixties, he died with a Covenant Energy Sword through his abdomen.''** Carter reported. Just thinking about that made Nick clench his fist on his Energy Sword. He turned it on and held it up. Jorge nudged him again, silently saying ''Put it away.'' He did and clipped it back to his hip.

 **''Elites then.''** Halsey stated, looking directly at Nick. She clearly saw him active his weapon.

 **''They engaged us as well.''** Jorge added. **''It was just, uh...''** he paused, trying to find the words. Shade gave him a nervous glance even though she had her helmet on still. **''Just after we found your scientist's daughter, ma'am. She was hiding in the-''**

 **''Irrelevant.''** Halsey interupted. **''The Elites. Tell me more about them.''**

 **''Three.''** Nick explained for them. **''Three Zealots. One got away, the leader, I assume.''**

 **''Zealots.''** Halsey repeated. **''You're certain?''**

 **''Armor configuration and shield strength matched perfectly, Halsey.''** Shade replied. **''And might I add, it's not a great idea to question the one Elite on our side about ranks. He knows what he's on about.''** Halsey glared at the Spartan like she was crazy.

 **''I gave the order not to persue.''** Carter said after. **''Our primary objective was to get the station's relay back online.''**

 **''Your primary objective?''** It was plain to see that this woman had no fear of the Spartan squad or the Elite with them. **''Commander, are you a puppet or a Spartan?''** Shade was shocked to hear her say that, and everyone shared her shock.

 **''Ma'am?''** Carter said carefully.

Halsey gave a short huff. **''There are those at ONI, myself included, that believe the Covenant dispatch Elite advance teams to hunt down artifacts of value to their religion.''** She paused to look at Nick, who gave a hesitation nod of confirmation. **''Survivor accounts suggest such teams are small, nimble and almost always Zealot-class.''** Nick nodded again.

 **''This human is right.''** he admitted.

 **''No doubt they came to the station for the abundance of ONI excavation data stored there.''** Halsey continued, pausing to glare at Carter. **''And you let them get away.''**

 **''Data retrieval was nota command directive.''** Carter responded. **''Even had we known, we had other, more urget matters to attend to.''**

 **''Like warning the planet.''** Kat added.

Halsey sighed a little. **''Professor Sorvad's final entry in his field notes made reference to 'a latchkey discovery'. Latchkey. Not a word he would use lightly. So let's hope the data module your Lieutenant Commander** ** _stole_** **''** she paused and glared at Kat. **''contains it.''** Carter gave her a questioning look as she went towards Halsey and took out the thing they found at the relay outpost. **''Before you ask, I was alerted the moment you attempted to access its contents, as I am with any unauthorized tap. That data is classified tier one... I could send you to the brig for interfering with my work.''**

Carter had enough of this. **''Maybe you'd like to join** **her.''** Halsey gave him an annoyed stare. **''We're currently under emergency planetary directive, Winter Contingency. I'm sure you're familiar with the punishment for civilian interference with a Spartan deployment.''**

 **''Are you threatening me, Commander?''** Halsey asked in an offended voice.

 **''Just making a reading suggestion, ma'am...''** Carter replied, starting to leave with Kat behind him. **''Let's move Noble Team.''** Everyone began to leave, but Jorge hesitated. Shade and Nick did too.

 **''Ma'am?''** Jorge said, sounding a little concerned.

 **''That will be all, Jorge.''** Halsey replied. He and the other two walked out. Nick looked at Jorge's face. He didn't seem to be that happy as he normally was. The Sangheili wanted to ask if he was alright, byt left it for the moment. Now didn't seem like a good time to ask.


	8. Nightfall

No sooner had Shade and Nick completed the previous mission, they were out on another. It was night and they were sidestepping on a particularly narrow ledge of rock. They were assigned a mission with Jun, and both had the one gun they really didn't want: Sniper Rifles. They edged along as a Phantom flew past, the spotlight searching for targets. Jun was just ahead of the two. He stood up and looked back at them, motioning for them to hurry up. Both carefully made their way after him, climbing over a mound in the way

 **''Recon Team Bravo reporting in: Three, Six and Nick in position.''** Jun said over comms to Kat, who was running the operation. Shade and Nick crossed a small gap in the cliff that they couldn't help looking down. **''It's starting to get crowded up here, Kat.''**

 **''Then we're closing in.''** Kat replied. **''Report any Covenant structures or devices.''** Shade and Nick came to stand by Jun. **''Direct action may be necessary.''**

 **''Copy that.''** Jun said before looking at the two. He chuckled a bit. **''Whenever Kat runs an op, direct action is always necessary.''** Nick couldn't help his grin below his helmet. Jun handed them both a clip of bullets each. **''Here. You may need these. High-velocity armor-piercing. They'll take the hat off an Elite at two thousand yards.''** Shade was impressed by that fact and followed Jun as he walked away a bit. **''And they ain't cheap.''** he added with emphasis. He came to a climbable rock and went to climb over. **''I'll be in touch.''** He went over the rock as Shade and Nick slid down the near-vertical cliff and landed at the bottom.

Nick landed roughly while Shade landed cleanly. She helped him up off his knees and they moved forward. They went up a hill while Kat and Jun were discussing things. It wasn't too long before they came across an Elite with it's back to them. **''Elite. Take him down quietly, Nick.''** Shade said to him. He snuck up on it before inserting his claws into it's neck before he tossed the now dead alien behind him. Shade chuckled to herself quietly. Nearby, sleeping Grunts were just open for assassination. She went along, leaving behind body after body of Grunts with snapped necks. Nick laughed to himself. Always a pleasure to see her kill like that.

They kept going forward until they reached what looked like a hideout of sorts. The two were rejoined by Jun and hoisted the Sniper Rifles off their backs. Shade used the scope to zoom in on an Elite and kill it with a single bullet. **''Guess he was right about these guns. Impressive.''** Nick remarked. Only problem being he couldn't exactly fire it. While Shade and Jun were making short work of the Covenant, he fumbled around with the gun, trying to use it. Shade giggled at him and he growled back.

 **''Having trouble?''** she asked sarcastically. She tossed her sidearm pistol to him. **''Go crazy. We'll cover you.''** Nick nodded and jumped down to the ground while Shade and Jun kept firing. Not before long, a Phantom flew in with some backup.

 **''Looks like we really pissed 'em off.''** Jun commented.

 **''Not gonna matter much.''** Shade replied. **''Let's give 'em what for!''** Grunt after Grunt, Jackel after Jackel, Elite after Elite, the enemy forces stood no chance against the three and fell. The place was cleared out easily and the group followed a path to a broken bridge. At the edge of it lay two dead men, obviously taken out by the Covenant. One of them had a pistol while the other had a shotgun. Seeing the chance, Nick tossed Shade her gun back and the ammo from his Sniper Rifle, taking the Shotgun over them.

Nick lead them back along the path. He kept an eye out for any other paths. He spotted a small passageway between a building and a rock wall, and went through it to find an open door. He signaled for everyone to follow him through. He headed up a flight of stairs inside to discover more Covenant waiting. These guys were also too easy to deal with. Just a normal bunch of Elites of Grunts. They gunned their way past more of them along the way to a continuation of the path. Ahead were huge aliens, way bigger then anything Shade had seen.

 **''Look at that...''** Jun said breathlessly. **''Look at the size of that thing!''** But there wasn't just one. There was two. And Nick was terrified.


	9. Refugee Rescue

**Tavu 'Nacam POV**

Tavu couldn't move a muscle despite wanting to. He had never seen anything as big as this. It was at least twice the size of a Hunter, had large tusks and long claws. Never before had the Elite been so terrified. Shade, meanwhile, was firing away at it with her pistol. After a surprisingly short amount of time, both of the creatures lay dead. Shade stood next to Nick and put an arm around his shoulders. **''Hey, you feeling okay?''** she asked, slightly teasing him.

 **''W-what? Yeah, I-I'm fine...''** Tavu replied hastily, not wanting to admit he was scared. Forgetting he had a helmet on, he looked away from Shade to hide his blushing face, but that only made her more certain about it.

 **''Oh come on, just because you're an Elite, you don't have to hide things from me.''** Shade replied. **''If it makes you feel better, I'll kiss you.''**

 **''That doesn't really help... Maybe later?''**

 **''Sure. Whenever you want a quick one.''**

Jun stared at them. He definitely heard. **''What are you talking about Six? You don't _actually_ want to kiss an alien...right?''**

 **''Who knows, Jun.''** Shade replied.

 **''Six,** **there'** **s a trail up ahead, through the rocks. Let's take it. Try not to get lovey on the way through.''** Jun announced and began to head that way. Shade and Tavu ran after him. If he wasn't blushing before, now he really was. He felt the urge to keep next to her. Maybe had something to do with his childhood. He was told to try and impress any female he found attractive and stay close to them if everything works out, but why did this thought come up about a human? Was he just unable to accept he was attracted to her? But one question stood out in his mind. Would a relationship like this work? Well, he might as well try it...

Tavu walked beside Shade and slowly slipped his hand into hers. He blushed to himself. Shade must have noticed his hand as she was gripping it. He could only guess she was blushing under her helmet too. They were so lost in each other, gunfire surprised them. Tavu could only guess Jun was smirking. **''Gunfire. Magnums, security side op. Standard issue.''** Jun said. They came to look over a settlement area. **''Noble Two, we're at some kind of pump station. Got eyes on local civilians. They engaged hostiles. Probably more local militia.''**

 **''Keep them safe. They may have intel we need.''** Kat responded.

 **''You heard her, Six, keep those civilians alive!''** Jun told Shade.

 **''Give us a hand! Bastards just keep coming!''** one of the men shouted to them. Shade and Tavu rushed forwards and split up. Shade focused on the area closest to her while Tavu took a seperate way around. He went through some sort of tunnel with water flowing at his feet. He found and ran up a ramp nearby to flank the Covenant. Together they were able to thin the numbers of enemies around.

 **Shade POV**

Shade ran past a building where someone was groaning. Militia maybe, but it can't be. She went to investigate and found a wounded Elite, clutching at his stomach. He looked up at her, terrified by her appearance. **''P-please don't hurt me!''** he cried out for mercy, and not in the metaphorical sense. Shade could figure out tear tracks running down the alien's cheeks. **''I am too weak to defend myself! Please, Demon... Don't...''** His pleas dissolved into pitiful sobs as he cried waterfalls. His helmet was nearby, horribly scratched and cracked.

 **''You got three options here.''** Shade replied, catching his attention. **''I get you back on your feet, I leave you here to die, or I kill you now. Make a reasonable choice, Sangheili.''** In the spare time Shade spent with Nick, he had taught her a load of stuff about his race, even a couple words that were reasonable for a human to be able to make.

The Sangheili looked at her, trying his best to form a smile. **''Y-you are generous, Demon. Don't let me die here.''**

 **'''Twould be an act of shame, friend, to require help. From a Demon no less.''** Nick entered behind Shade, Shotgun resting on his shoulder. **''Fine choice. Life is better then death.''** He took off his helmet to reveal the smug grin he wore. He obviously didn't care much about honor.

 **''I-I... Tavu? I wouldn't have t-thought you'd be with a Demon.''**

 **''Such are the fates she and I share. The galaxy needs us.''**

 **''What do you mean?''**

 **''It's...a long story.''**

Shade grabbed a nearby health kit. **''This won't take long. Nick, go to Jun. I'll handle this.''**

 **Tavu 'Nacam POV**

Tavu nodded and put his helmet on again, leaving the building. He walked in on a conversation between Jun the humans.

 **''Little more action then we're used to... You're good in a fight, Spartan.''** the human group's leader, Tavu guessed, said.

 **''What are you doing here? Whole area's supposed to be evacuated.''** Jun asked them.

 **''Didn't want to let someone else protect our home. So we came back...for this.''** The man opened two nearby crates of weapons. **''We have guns hidden all over the territory.''**

 **''You know this stuff is stolen, right?''**

 **''Oh yeah, you gonna arrest me?''**

 **''No.''** Tavu heard the smirk in his voice. **''I'm gonna steal it back.''**

Humans were an odd race, Tavu noted. Apparently it was common to steal from each other. Stealing on Sangheilios would mean severe punishment. Punishment he would face when he gets back. He hoped he could redeem himself before then. If he ever went back, anyway.

Another dropship arrived and started to drop off backup. Tavu worked with the Malitia and Jun to fend them off, shooting and bashing his way through the large force. As another one came in, Shade emerged from the building to help out. The Elite wasn't with her, so he assumed he needed to rest. It was a breeze to clear out the remaining aliens.

Once they were done fighting, everyone gathered at a short bridge. **''Road leads to a hydro-electric plant. Gate doesn't work though.''** one of the men informed them.

 **''Is there an alternate route by any chance?''** Tavu asked.

 **''We used the riverbed to smuggle rations, weapons-''**

 **''Basically anything the UNSC considers contraband, huh?''** Shade interrupted.

The man gave a cassual shrug. **''Basically.''**

 **''Alright. Lead the way.''** Jun replied. The man started to head off and the Spartans and alien followed.

 **''Let's see where the riverbed goes, then.''** Tavu responded, keeping pace with the others.


	10. Uncovered Secrets

_**AN: Okay. Okay. I'm late to adress It but still. Don't complain about the fact Tavu was let live by the UNSC. I only included him from the start to make the story different. I'm not bothered by being accurate to Lore, which is why this is a FAN story. Please. I don't want to see any more**_ **'But Tavu would have been killed at the start'** ** _reviews._**

* * *

Tavu walked along the riverbed side-by-side with Shade. **''Hey, did you...mean what you said earlier? About...''**

 **''Kissing you? You'll have to figure it out. Hope you're smart enough to.''** The spartan replied with the usual sass.

 **''I am not dumb, Shade. You do mean it. Then, we kiss, get past it.''** It felt strange to be saying it, or feeling it, but Tavu wanted to go ahead with this.

Shade paused in her confident stride, and Tavu stopped next to her. She turned to face him, leaned up and bumped her helmet to his carefully, holding for a second before pulling back. **''Best we can do right now. I'll make it serious when I can.''** Tavu was a little startled. Just how serious was this girl? Shade got back to following the path as Tavu tried to understand what just happened. He stood for a moment before making a quick dash to catch up to her and he lightly grabbed her arm.

 **''So, what you mean is, you are okay with kissing...an alien?''** He asked, the confusion evident. Shade just nodded in return and continued to walk, pulling the Elite along. They met up with jun just down the path at a cliff edge, staring out at a Covenant structure across the other side.

 **''While you two lovebirds were talking, I let Kat know about this. We need to get in there and set a remote charge.''** Tavu scowled at him, and headed to the bridge to get across. He was just about to waltz over it when he noticed the Sangheili on patrol. He backed up, barely staying out of sight. He waited for the Elite to turn away to sneak past, sticking to the railing at the side. He looked off into the distance for a sec and sighed softly. Mistake.

A hand shoved him forward and he tipped over the ledge. But he didn't fall. He stared up at the clawed hand gripping his ankle. **''Still a fool, 'Nacam.''** The Sangheili peered over the edge down at Tavu with a mocking grin.

 **''Can I not apreciate a good sight of the mountains?''** Tavu spat back, learning from Shade's sense of sarcasm.

 **''Silence. I hold your fate, Heretic. You will die. But there may be something you should know. To think about in your last moments.''** The Elite chuckled darkly, meeting Tavu's eyes. **''Your mate doesn't want you back at all. The guards just wanted the delicious bounty on your head.''** Tavu couldn't believe it. He didn't want to.

 **''Liar! Vicious, murdering liar!''** He yelled, trying to fight back against the iron grip.

 **''I do not tell lies, fool.''** Came the bitter snarl in response. **''But it does not matter. Goodbye-''**

A Spartan hand latched onto Tavu's other ankle sharply. **''And hello!''** Shade's voice rung out. The Elite was startled, letting go of Tavu and stepping back.

 **''H-How-''**

 **''The Demon is smarter then they look.''** Tavu replied with a laugh.

Shade gave a wave to the stunned Elite. **''How's it hanging, Tavu?''** She chuckled.

 **''Just get me up...''** Tavu replied. The Elite next to Shade finally made to act and went to draw a weapon but unfortunately for him, a loud gunshot dug a bullet in his head and Tavu watched his helmet plummet off the edge.

 **''Thanks Jun.''** Shade called to the sniper, hauling her Sangheili ally back onto solid ground. He came to quickly embrace her and put his helmet against hers.

 **''Didn't think a woman would be saving my life.''** he muttered to her.

 **''And yet.''** Shade replied. Jun approached them.

 **''Well, I placed the charge in a discrete place on that pylon thing. No thanks to you for watching my back. Lucky these men aren't so bad with these guns.''** the sniper remarked with a shrug. **''Not entirely complaining. You did save his ass from falling to his death.''**

 **''Yeah. I'll take a pardon on that one.''** Shade chuckled.

Tavu was deep in thought. Without any warning or explanation, he sat down against the railing, thinking about what was said. His mate was lying? It was the guards after him. When Shade came to kneel down next to him, he looked away. Did his mate even love him? Was that all a ruse? Questions flew around his head. He didn't notice Shade now kneeling with her legs either side of his, without her helmet. In fact, he barely noticed her take his helmet off him until she did. He soon found himself staring deep into her eyes.

 **''Talk to me.''**

Three simple words. How could something so simple and short be so convincing? He was lost for a second, until he felt the Spartan's hand in his. **''He said...my mate did not truthfully desire my return... It was all a ruse by the guards to try to drag me home for them to slay.''** Tavu was shaking slightly, uncharacteristic for his kind. But Shade was right there to relax him. He knew things would be okay. He brought her close to him with a hug. **''You won't be like her, will you?''**

Shade nodded as she embraced him. **''Can't be more different.''** She pulled away from him. She helped him to his feet and glanced around to see Jun at a gate, pressing some buttons on a keypad. As the gate opened, he motioned for the two companions to follow him.

 **''Heading into the darkzone now. Lets not stick around.''** Jun mentioned. Tavu nodded in agreement. As they passed through the gate, Shade politely ordered the marines to stay put while the three went on. They came to a set of barriers, taking the time to hide behind them. A Phantom rose up from the ledge, spotlight searching the cliffside. Tavu gave a relieved sigh they didn't have to do battle with that this time. The Phantom flew off, having found nothing. Tavu lead the advance right up until they came across a Shade Turrent on the rise.

 **''Handled.''** Tavu drew his Energy Sword and charged right in, burning through the ranks of the Covenant in a hurry. Jun and Shade weren't far behind, killing their fair share as they pushed on ruthlessly. On the next rise, another Shade Turret stood, with another past that. Tavu took the chance of freeing the second turret from control to jump in. He swiveled round and started to fire on the opposing turret until it exploded, taking with it anything nearby.

Through combined effort, the enemy forces were cleared in the area. Tavu gave a roar of victory and took a moment to breathe. He walked over to Shade and Jun. **''Well, don't we make a good team?** **''** Shade commented. Jun chuckled his agreement. Tavu's arms found their way around Shade's shoulders limply. She felt his breathing on her neck. **''Not quite done yet, big guy.''**

 **''Were it so...''** Tavu replied, resting his head on hers. Jun noticed a path just off to the side.

 **''Might be something that way.''** He mentioned, and the three followed it. As the three came to a cliffside, they went down into bellycrawls, staring down at something quite surprising. **''Jackpot...''** Jun muttered. **''Kat, we're transmitting a visual. You seeing this?''**

 **''Confirmed.''** Kat's reply came over their comms. **''Receiving visual of Noble 3 and Noble 6. A Covenant Strike Force, Tavu?''**

The sudden address to him came as a short shock but he replied anyway. **''Strike force? No. Invading army? Most likely.''**

 **''We've gotta hit hard and fast to smother that.''** Shade added.

 **''Yeah. All recon teams fall back. Sun will be up in a few hours. It's gonna be a busy day...''**

* * *

 _ **AN: Battle scenes suck okay?**_


End file.
